Latest blog posts

Alessandro Busachi, PhD Researcher of the School of Aerospace Transport and Manufacturing, has been awarded the NATO - Defence Innovation Challenge 2018 for his Software prototype “Additive Manufacturing – Decision Support System” at NATO NITEC18 this May in Berlin

Unique in-process cold work

What They Say About WAAM

Designed by BAE Systems engineers, the component forms a main structural element of an aircraft wing structure. It took just 37 hours to build from a digital model. Previously this process would have taken weeks.

-- PIONEER(EPSRC magazine)

What we’ve been able to demonstrate from this project is that we have the ability to manufacture titanium parts on this scale. The next stage is to continue working together to produce more parts and to develop a robust set of processes so that we can take this technology and apply it safely and seamlessly into the aerospace industry

-- MATT STEVENS(BAE Systems AM lead)

This is an exciting technology with huge potential for the aerospace industry

-- STEWART WILLIAMS(Programme director)

Why WAAMMat?

Mature the WAAM process

Develop process-specific hardware

Taking the hardware traditionally used in arc welding to the next level of ruggedisation, reliability, control, and integration; integrating it with cutting-edge technologies based on light, magnetic, sound physics

Achieve a critical mass and avoid duplication

The worlds of academia and industry joining forces to fast-track the maturation of the process whether relying on private efforts as well as publicly-funded projects, making sure nothing is repeated unnecessarily.